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It was early morning in mid-December when I awoke to the sounds of steady rumbling while lying in the top bunk in my 9-by-5-foot family room in Amtrak’s Southwest Chief train. I climbed down a ladder to find my husband and 5-year-old daughter still snoozing in the lower bunk. Grabbing a seat on the gray banquette by the window, I pulled aside a blue curtain and was astounded by the view of peachy-pink clouds as we rolled across the rugged desert. We were passing through Holbrook, Ariz., and the sunrise was beautiful enough to be in a watercolor painting. At that moment, I felt like I was in a Wes Anderson movie.
There’s a child-like wonderment that comes from taking a train through the expansive Southwest to New Mexico in the winter that you just won’t get from plane travel. We opted for a 16-hour overnight trip instead of a two-hour flight to Albuquerque because we longed for a different way of traveling, one we hoped would slow time in our busy lives. Although we were asleep for half the ride, we spent the remaining hours taking in the beautiful scenery, which looks especially magnificent through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Sightseer Lounge, and enjoying a three-course steak dinner before arriving in Albuquerque around 11 a.m.
If you’ve never planned a nearly 800-mile train trip before, you’ll find some considerations different from traveling by plane or car. Depending on which accommodations you book, Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, which goes all the way to Chicago, can be more expensive than flying. But whether you’re traveling with kids, by yourself or with a friend or partner, there are lots of ways to make it work within your budget.
Read on for tips on the Amtrak experience, along with what to do and eat, and where to stay in New Mexico. If you’re lucky, you might even get to enjoy a dreamy snowfall in the Land of Enchantment.
Booking your train tickets
The early bird gets the best accommodations. Reserve your tickets — Union Station to Albuquerque — as soon as possible since the most desirable rooms (especially family rooms, which can fit up to two adults and two children) are the first to get snatched up. While coach seats are economical, getting to actually lie down for shut-eye in the private rooms can make a world of difference. The roomette and bedroom options can each fit up to two adults (although the former can be a tight squeeze), and the bedroom suite combines two adjoining rooms. Some come with personal bathrooms and showers, while others are shared, so book accordingly. A perk of having a room is that it’s considered first class, so a dedicated attendant will be available to help with turndown service and luggage, and dining car meals are complimentary.
Arriving at Union Station
Union Station in Los Angeles.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
If you’re looking to avoid a hectic LAX experience during the holidays, think of Union Station as its laid-back sibling. Overnight parking is almost always available in the Union Station East garage for $8 per day. (If you plan on parking there for three or more nights, download and fill out a parking request form from the Union Station website and drop it off in the parking office located at Union Station East.)
Plan to arrive at least an hour before your train’s departure if you have to check luggage, are traveling with family or if you’ve made a specific request for assistance at the station. Otherwise, 30 minutes should suffice. If you have a first class ticket, head over to the Amtrak Station Lounge to enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks while you await your departure.
What to bring
If you are checking luggage, make sure to bring a small overnight backpack that will fit in your room or in the overhead compartment near your coach seat. (Smaller rooms may not fit carry-on luggage and you may need to store it outside of your room, so you’ll want the overnight bag for easy access.) If you need to charge multiple devices, bring a small multi-plug splitter as there is usually just one electrical outlet. Earplugs can dampen the chugging train sounds at night. And carry cash to tip the first-class attendants and waiters.
Transportation in Albuquerque and getting to Santa Fe
The Amtrak train will arrive at the Downtown Albuquerque Rail Runner station. From there, you can book a Turo rental in which a vehicle gets dropped off at your location, or visit Enterprise about a mile away (and call the rental office in advance to schedule a free pick-up service). Or take Uber or a free city bus to the rental car center at Albuquerque International Sunport airport, where more options are available.
To get to Santa Fe, you can drive there in an hour or extend your train travel with a ticketed 1.5-hour ride on the New Mexico Rail Runner Express to the Santa Fe Depot Rail Runner station, which is half a mile from downtown Santa Fe.
What to do in Albuquerque
Old Town Poco a Poco Plaza in Albuquerque.
(Jean Trinh)
Stay: The historic Hotel Andaluz is a five-minute walk from the Albuquerque station, making it a perfect home base for adventuring. There are plenty of cozy spaces to hide away at this Moorish-style hotel, with stunning casbah-inspired alcoves in the lobby, a library with a fireplace, and Spanish tapas and more at the wine bar Más.
Eat: Grab a New Mexico-style breakfast at the Central Grill and Coffee House, where red or green chile (Can’t decide? Have it “Christmas style,” a combination of both) reigns supreme on such comfort dishes as burritos and chilaquiles. For more modern fare (and more diverse options), hit up the lively Sawmill Market or 505 Central Food Hall for everything from Detroit-style pizza to ramen and tacos.
Do: Old Town Albuquerque is a year-round attraction with Pueblo-Spanish-style architecture, galleries, shops and restaurants, but it’s extra special during the holidays, when its plaza twinkles at night with farolitos, or luminarias, as they’re also known (a Southwest Christmas tradition of brown paper bag lanterns). On Christmas Eve, you can get tickets for a 45-minute Luminaria Tour bus ride that traverses decorated streets. The ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden will host its annual River of Lights holiday attraction from Nov. 30-Dec. 30 with more than 700 illuminated displays on a 1.5-mile walking path. For winter sports, check out Sandia Peak Ski Area, 35 miles northeast of Albuquerque. And for the kids, keep them entertained at the sprawling Explora interactive museum.
What to do in Santa Fe
Snow blankets the Santa Fe Plaza.
(Jean Trinh)
Stay: During the holidays, the lobby of the downtown Inn of the Governors is transformed into a cozy den complete with Christmas decorations, a roaring fireplace and a daily welcome hour with sherry and biscochitos (the cinnamon and anise-laced New Mexico state cookie). Full service breakfast is included for guests at its Del Charro restaurant and bar, which is open late until midnight on most days.
Eat: Cafe Pasqual’s is packed all day for good reasons: It has solid New Mexico dishes made with local and organic ingredients, it’s in a vibrant space decorated with colorful papeles picados, and it even has a communal table for lone travelers to make new friends. (Make sure to visit its adjacent art gallery while you’re there.) The 71-year-old Shed, also a Santa Fe institution, is a hot spot for margaritas, posole and red chile enchiladas.
Do: The Canyon Road Farolito Walk on Christmas Eve is a longtime Santa Fe tradition, where thousands stroll the artsy thoroughfare to check out the lights. There’s also La Luz de las Noches at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, evenings from Dec. 19 to 31 (closed on Dec. 24 and 25), featuring farolitos, musical performances, food and drinks. For snow activities, travel 35 miles northeast from downtown to Ski Santa Fe, which will be debuting a new high speed lift this winter. Also, not to be missed is the massive immersive art experience of Meow Wolf, and film screenings at “Game of Thrones” creator George R.R. Martin’s Jean Cocteau Cinema.
